Ransom

He set the box on the table. “That’s what happens when you carry undocumented diamonds.”

She made a face. “Diamonds? What are you talking about?”

He narrowed his focus on her. Did she really not know? Or was she playing him? His informant inside Santini’s operation said she was an innocent pawn.

Maybe.

Blake rarely trusted anyone. Let alone a man willing to sell out his boss.

Or most women.

In his experience women in general made the best liars and broke their promises much too easily. Truth and fidelity were moving targets, not hard and fast ideals.

But they were ideals that he honored.

He’d let himself be sucked in before by a woman to only be disappointed and hurt when the inevitable happened. He wouldn’t make that mistake again. Instead he took to heart his father’s motto, never let your guard down.

He shook off the memories scratching at his mind. The here and now needed his attention. Santini was the objective. And this woman standing before him was the means to an end. Nothing more.

Blake had pressed his informant for Santini’s location, but the man was more afraid of Santini than Blake. It was one thing to report a goods transaction and an entirely different one to give the cops Santini’s whereabouts. The informant had bolted, and Blake hadn’t heard from him since. But at least Blake had Liz Cantrell. She would lead him to Santini.

Lifting the lid, Blake grasped the diamond necklace, holding it up for her to see. “This.”

Her eyes widened. “Those are just rocks.”

“No, Miss Cantrell, they aren’t.” He dropped the necklace. It landed on the table with a clatter. Twelve stones, held together by thin gold wire. “Those are uncut diamonds. Illegally trafficked from the mines of Venezuela.”

She shook her head. “No.” A hand flew to her throat. “Oh, no.” Anger clouded her eyes. “Those aren’t mine.”

“Are you telling me you’re carrying them for a friend?” He tsked and shook his head. “Not the smartest move.”

Her lip curled. “You don’t understand.”

“Try me.”

She lifted her chin but remained mute. He had to give her props. She had a spine of steel so far. He didn’t know many who’d face him with such bravado, especially women.

He waited, letting the silence draw out. Her expressive eyes revealed her inner turmoil. She was struggling to keep from talking but something held her back.

Was she also more afraid of Santini than Blake?

Picking up the necklace, Blake said, “I’d hate to think you were caught up in something that might land you in jail. Or worse.”

She shivered and licked her lips. “May I have some water, please?”

A stall tactic. It wouldn’t do her any good to put off telling him what he wanted to know, but he nodded. A moment later, Nathanial brought in a small cup filled with water. Liz drank it down as if she was dying of thirst in a vast desert.

Nathanial left the room.

Deciding to try a different approach, Blake sat, giving her the illusion of authority. “We’re here to help you, Ms. Cantrell. All you need to do is trust us.”

“I wish I could,” she whispered.

Ah, her resolve was weakening. Maybe another little nudge. “If you work with us, then there’s less likelihood of going to jail.”

“I have to leave,” she said with an urgency that sent an alert to his senses.

“What’s the rush?” He steepled his hands. “Are you meeting a buyer for the stones?”

Shaking her head, she insisted, “No, it’s not like that.”

She was close to caving. He would get what he wanted from her. “The only way you get out of here is by cooperating. Tell me what it is like. And tell me the truth.”

Rubbing at her temples, she said, “I can’t. He said no police. He’ll kill my sister.”

So his informant was correct. An innocent woman’s life was in danger. Now more than ever he needed Liz’s assistance. “The only way to get your sister back safely is if you tell me everything.”

When she remained stubbornly silent, he reined in his frustration and pushed harder at her with his words. “You see how this is a sticky situation for you?” Blake nodded to the necklace. “You’ve been caught red-handed with illegal contraband. We could arrest you and put you in jail.”

Her eyes grew round with panic. “No, if you do that my sister is dead.”

He felt no satisfaction in threatening her. “Then cooperate with me.”

A pained expression crossed her face, then she seemed to come to a decision. She squared her shoulders, lifted her chin and met his gaze again, showing her spunk in the way her eyes sparked. “My sister married a man who is mixed up in something bad. Something that neither Jillian nor I have anything to do with. Now she’s been kidnapped.” She glanced at the stones on the table. “Those are her ransom. If I don’t deliver them to—” she frowned but there was no mistaking the unshed tears filling her eyes “—to Fort George by noon tomorrow, he’ll kill her.”

Anticipation revved in his veins. “Who is he?”

She wiped at an escaped tear. “I don’t know,” she ground out. “We didn’t exchange pleasantries.”

She stepped closer, her pretty face taking on a pleading expression that jabbed at Blake. He fought off the sensation. He couldn’t let her get to him. He wouldn’t be that weak. His job was his life. And he wouldn’t let anything interfere with his job. Especially not a beautiful, gutsy woman, no matter how much respect she stirred in him.

“Please, you have to let me go. My sister’s life depends on me giving that stupid necklace back.”

“I could charge you with smuggling or even terrorism,” Blake stated, gauging her reaction. Her distress appeared sincere. But he had to be sure. He had to know she wasn’t involved. That she wasn’t lying to him.

Her mouth opened, then snapped shut. She seemed to be reeling in her temper. “I’d never laid eyes on that necklace until last night. Apparently, my sister’s new husband gave her the necklace.” She slashed the air with her hand. “A man broke into my apartment looking for it. He said Travis stole it from someone named Santini. And now some madman has threatened to kill Jillian if I don’t give him the necklace.”

“Santini is a madman. A dangerous madman.” Deciding he’d pushed enough and needed to proceed with a more gentle manner, he motioned to the chair. “Have a seat, Ms. Cantrell.” He purposely softened his tone. “May I call you Liz?”

Slowly, she sank onto the edge of the chair, poised as if she’d bolt at any second. He reluctantly admired her grit. “That’s fine.”

He studied her for a moment, appreciating the delicate line of her jaw and the high jut of her cheekbones. She was really a striking woman. But not in a made-up or pretentious way. Her attractiveness was natural and came from within her. He’d read the dossier on her and knew she ran an antique store left to her by her deceased father. If this were a different situation, he’d want to know more about her. Did she like antiques? Or was she keeping her father’s dream alive at the expense of her own? And what did this woman dream about? Who was she deep down inside?

A fighter. He knew that for certain.

Shaking off the uncharacteristic musing, he said, “I’m Blake. Agent Blake Fallon with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It’s my job to help secure the northern border of our country from illegal activities. Activities that Santini engages freely in. Do you understand?”

“Of course. I’m a law abiding citizen. Normally, I wouldn’t... I have never broken the law.”

Appreciating her attempt at defending herself, he kept his tone soft as he said, “Liz, I do want to help you.”

She scrunched up her nose in obvious confusion. He was momentarily distracted by the cute motion.

“You’ll help me?” she asked. “How?”

He took no triumph in having her right where he wanted her. If they were going to see this through, he needed her to be willing to do what he asked of her. “You’ll need to help me, too.”

Her eyes narrowed in wariness. “What do I have to do?”

Valuing her caution, he placed his palms on the table to keep from curling his fingers into fists. The burn of anger at Santini simmered below the surface, ready to boil any moment. “Help me bring down Idris Santini.”

A little V appeared between her eyebrows. “Who is this Santini character?”

Blake’s fingers dug into the table. “A very bad man. He killed a fellow ICE agent in cold blood.”

Sympathy flooded her eyes. Blake tried to look away but couldn’t. Her gaze pulled him in, made him want to make her understand the magnitude of the situation. “Our intel had put him at the docks in New Jersey. Liam and I were the closest agents. I was in Manhattan, and Liam was in Atlantic City. Liam arrived first and, without back up, tried to prevent Santini from boarding a freighter. When I arrived Santini had Liam on his knees. I watched the man put a bullet in the back of Liam’s head and toss him off the side of the pier like garbage.” Blake’s fingers curled into tight fists. “Liam should have waited for me.”

“Would you have waited for him?”

The question so quietly asked had the power of a chainsaw and ripped through him, forcing him to confront a truth he hadn’t wanted to face. “No. I would have done the same.”

“And then you’d be the one dead.”

Acid burned in his gut. He wanted to believe he wouldn’t have let Santini get the drop on him. But Liam was the best there was. “It shouldn’t have happened.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” she said, her voice gentle.

He leaned forward. “And now Santini is threatening the life of your sister and her husband. We need to work together to bring him to justice and rescue your sister.”

Blake vowed to take Santini down if it was the last thing he did. And this woman was the key to Blake’s revenge and redemption. He just needed her cooperation.

“Why should I trust you?” Liz asked with skepticism lacing each word.

Blake stared her in the eye and flattened his hands on the table. “You have no choice if you want to see your sister again. In order for us to succeed, we have to trust each other.”

TWO

No choice.

Staring at the man across the metal table in the interrogation room, Liz clenched her jaw until her teeth ached.

ICE agent Blake Fallon.

He took the acronym to a whole new level. She didn’t doubt ice ran in his veins. Waves of tension rolled off him, adding to her own anxiety. And yet he watched her with measured patience as if he had all the time in the world. There wasn’t an extra ounce of fat to him, no softness whatsoever. His lean frame and wide shoulders blocked her view of not only the door but also the exit. He had a strong jawline, defined cheekbones and eyes so dark she could see her reflection.

Could he see how terrified she was? Did he even care? She knew that wasn’t fair. His story of his friend’s death left an impression. He blamed himself for something that was out of his control. Most likely he thought he could have prevented the tragedy. She had a feeling control was important to him.

And he wanted her to trust him because he said so.

Well, that wasn’t how trust worked. He had to prove himself trustworthy if he wanted her to believe that he could help her. Because from where she was sitting, it appeared as if he wanted to intimidate her into doing whatever he wanted her to do. To bring down Santini. A man who had murdered his friend. And now held her sister captive.

Under normal circumstances, if a man had acted so domineering she’d be out the door and on her way without a backward glance.

But these weren’t normal circumstances.

And Agent Blake Fallon wasn’t just any man. He was the man who held the power to free her sister.

Did he know about the other man who had threatened to kill Liz if she didn’t hand over the necklace?

Jillian’s new, no-good, rotten husband had put Jillian and Liz in danger, not to mention himself. Poor Jillian. Liz prayed she wasn’t too heartbroken to learn Travis wasn’t the man she’d thought him to be. Unfortunately, he was the kind of man Liz feared he’d be. Calculated, conniving, a thief.

She blew out an angry breath and forced back the fear that lurked at the edges of her mind. She had to be sensible and think this all through.

One mistake could cost Jillian her life. That wasn’t a risk Liz was willing to take. She grew hot beneath her jacket. She unzipped it and let the sides flop open to allow for the mild air of the interrogation room to swirl over her, cooling her thoughts as well as her overheated body.

“You didn’t answer me,” she intoned with a good measure of annoyance she couldn’t hold back. “What do you want me to do?”

He arched one dark eyebrow.

She grimaced. “Besides trust you, that is.”

For a second amusement danced in his eyes, and she thought he might smile. But no. Just as quickly his stoic expression slid back into place, making the angles and planes of his face hard and unyielding. It must have been her wishful thinking that the man had some other mode besides stony.

“We both want the same thing,” he said in a slow measured tone. “Santini.”

She sat up straighter. “I want my sister back. Unharmed.”

Those were two different agendas.

He inclined his head, acknowledging her words. “That’s a given and obviously my priority. But until we bring down Santini, there’s no guarantee you’ll get your sister back. Unharmed.”

His response made her stomach clench with apprehension. She wanted to deny the truth in his words. But judging by where she was sitting and who was glaring at her across a cold, hard table, she figured he probably knew more about Santini and situations like this than she did. But that didn’t mean she had to like it. Or him.

“He told me no police or he’d kill her,” she pointed out.

“Let me worry about that.”

Right. Like that was going to happen. “You still haven’t told me what I need to do.”

“You’ll make the drop like Santini demanded. Only we’ll have people everywhere. When Santini shows up to pick up the necklace, we’ll nab him.”

“That’s your plan?” she asked. The man appeared intelligent, but maybe he had rocks for brains. Great. Not inspiring a lot of trust right now. “I don’t think this Santini guy is going to be dumb enough to walk into a trap. At the very least he’ll send someone to make the pickup.”

“You’re right, he’s not dumb.” Blake’s fingers stretched against the scarred metal table. His jaw hardened. “He’s a smart, crafty criminal. But he’s also greedy. Do you have any idea how much that necklace is worth?”

“No.”

Again he raised an eyebrow. “Let’s just say your travel insurance wouldn’t have covered it if your luggage had been lost.”

She swallowed. “How much money?”

“To give you an idea of their potential worth, recently a vivid blue diamond sold for twenty-four million.”

The staggering amount left her breathless. “That necklace has two...”

“Exactly. Santini won’t risk letting another minion snatch it out from under him again. He has a buyer standing by. There’s a lot of money at stake. I know Santini. He’s greedy and arrogant. He’ll come for it himself.” He held her gaze, his dark eyes compelling and unfathomable. She grew uncomfortable beneath that stare, yet she couldn’t look away. “And he doesn’t know we have you. Nor will he know you’re working with us.”

Blake sounded so confident. But she wasn’t convinced. She needed him to assure her because he was asking her to place her life and her sister’s life in his care. He said Jillian’s release was his priority. Was that true or just lip service to get her to acquiesce to his plans? “How can you be sure Santini doesn’t have spies in your department? On your team? Men following me? You say you’ve been after him but unable to catch him. Have you ever considered the reason might be someone in your organization is working with Santini?”

Blake’s eyes narrowed. “Believe me I’ve thought of every possibility. I’ve had everyone involved in Santini’s case carefully vetted. This IBETs operation is small for a reason. I’ve handpicked each member. There is no way any one of them would betray the team.”

She wanted to believe him. There was something in his tone that spoke of his determination and frustration. Despite his best effort to control the circumstances, he couldn’t. Santini somehow managed to evade capture time and again. And for a man like ICE agent Blake Fallon that had to be driving him mad. “Do you know who the man was that broke into my apartment last night?”

“No. Unfortunately, he wasn’t on our radar until after we found out about him attacking you.” He didn’t sound pleased. “Now that we know he’s involved and on the trail of the necklace, we’ll be on the lookout for him. Did you get a good look at him?

“No. He wore a mask and it was dark. Don’t you know what he looks like? How is he connected to Travis? To Jillian?” She shuddered, remembering the vile man’s voice and the way he’d grabbed her. She thought for certain he would hurt her. “He threatened to kill me, thinking I was Jillian.”

“The best we can surmise is this man wants to usurp Santini’s throne. My informant gave me a name, Ken Odin, but we can’t find him in any databases.”

The thought that there were two men out there that wanted to do her and Jillian harm had her pulse picking up speed. She clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking. “He claimed Travis bragged about stealing the necklace from Santini.”

“I doubt Travis understood the magnitude of what he’d taken from his boss. If he’d had any idea the value of the necklace or the trouble that would come down on his head, I doubt he’d have stolen it. Unless he really is that reckless.” Blake steepled his hands. “But because he did steal it we have an opportunity to use the situation to our advantage.”

Which brought them back to the plan where Blake hoped to lure Santini out into the open and capture him. “So I go to Fort George with the necklace to wait for Santini.”

Blake gave a short nod. “Yes.”

She’d never done anything dangerous before. She’d lived her life following the rules, making sure everyone had what they needed and picking up the slack where she could. Putting herself deliberately in harm’s way went against her own sense of self-preservation. But for Jillian she had to. And she had to rely on this man to protect her. “And you’ll be close by watching, right?”

His expression softened slightly. “Yes.”

The small glimpse of consideration, of compassion, didn’t assure her, instead it made her heart beat too fast and her mouth turn to cotton. It was clear he knew what he was asking of her was dangerous and yet, he still asked. And she had no choice but to confront her fears and do what needed to be done. For her sister’s sake. And for her own. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she hadn’t done all she could to rescue her sister. She swallowed, trying to find her voice again. “If I don’t cooperate with you, I’ll be arrested.” The thought of jail terrified her. She didn’t want to go to prison. If she were incarcerated, who would save her sister? “Is that, right?”

“Yes.” His frown wasn’t a scowl but more troubled, which made her wonder if he wasn’t as happy at the prospect as she’d have thought.

Maybe he wasn’t as cold as he’d like her to believe. But then again, he was asking her to risk her life by following his plan. Was she crazy to trust him? Did she trust him? She smoothed her hand over her denim-clad thighs. “What happens if he doesn’t bring my sister to the fort?”

He didn’t flinch. His expression hardened. She hadn’t thought it possible. His jaw must ache with tension. “When we have him in custody, we’ll get her whereabouts from him.”

A sour taste settled on her tongue. That wasn’t very reassuring. “What if Santini doesn’t show up?”

“Then we’ll follow whoever does take the necklace.” His words held a thread of impatience that hadn’t been there before. Was he not used to anyone questioning him? “They will lead us to Santini.”

“And to my sister,” she reminded him with a good dose of her own hardness infusing her voice.

He nodded and visibly seemed to check himself. The impatience dissipated to be replaced with a placating look that grated on her nerves. “We have every intention of recovering your sister.”

His words should have assured her even if his expression infuriated her, but the way he said recover made her think the worst. A chill scraped across her flesh. The cold, harsh room seemed to close in on her, stirring up old fears to mingle with new ones. How had her life come to this? What should she do? How did she save her sister?

Please, Lord, don’t let anything bad happen to Jillian. Give me wisdom. And the courage to act. “What will happen to her husband, Travis?”

“He’ll be arrested along with Santini’s other men.”

Jillian would be devastated. Liz would help her through her disappointment, and they would go home together to resume their lives, hopefully putting this whole ordeal behind them.

“What if Santini figures out you’re there?” A shudder rippled through her as possible scenarios played through her mind. She’d be an easy target if Santini decided to eliminate her. And her sister. “Can you guarantee my safety? My sister’s safety?”

“I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and get your sister back safely,” Blake answered, his voice low, resolute.

His determination rang through. He believed what he said, but could she? Could she put her life in his hands? Did she have faith enough to rely on someone else? Her natural inclination to keep people at arm’s length fought her need to depend on him. Depending on anyone was such a foreign concept. Did she have it in her to do so? What choice did she have?

It was either go along with his plan or go to jail, which would be a death knell for her sister. It looked as if she had only one option. A hard option for her. It would require her to dig deep to find the necessary will to trust, to count on this man.

“Fine.” She clenched her jaw, mirroring the way he’d gritted his teeth earlier. The accompanying ache had her pressing her lips together to relieve the pressure before saying, “I’ll do it your way.”

A flash of relief crossed his handsome face. Had he really thought she wouldn’t cooperate, given he’d threatened to arrest her?

“Good.” His tone wasn’t nearly as sharp as it had been before. “You’ll have to follow my instructions to the letter if we are to succeed.”

Of course he’d say that. His words confirmed her assessment that he was a man who liked to be in control, to call the shots. Well, she had a dose of that, as well. She arched an eyebrow. “I’ll do whatever I have to in order to protect my sister.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

His voice vibrated with respect. The odd turnaround had her mind spinning. He approved of her standing up to him? For some reason that pleased her and irritated her at the same time. Had he been baiting her to see if she’d fold under the pressure?

She hadn’t. At least, not yet. She was too worried for her sister’s well-being. When this was over and they were both safe, then she’d collapse. But not in front of Blake Fallon. That would be not only humiliating and degrading, it would let him know that her bravado was just that—bravado, manufactured and fragile. But she would be brave. She had to prove to Blake, to herself, that she had the mettle to see this ordeal through. Only with God’s help could she do it.

A wave of fatigue crashed through her. Her shoulders drooped. She glanced at her watch. They’d been here for a long time. She hadn’t eaten since the midmorning snack on the plane. She needed to find a hotel, but mostly she wanted to get away from this confusing man. “Can I go now?”

Blake rose and picked up the box, tucking the necklace back inside. “I’ll escort you to a safe house.”

Oh, goodie. Not. She would rather go alone. Then she wouldn’t have these confusing and conflicting thoughts about the agent. “I’ll find a hotel, thank you.”